Starting from September 1 those expatriates in Phuket wanting to take part in national census can do it on line from the Phuket Provincial Office, Gazette reported.

Prapai Pukngarm, a technical and planning officer at the office, said the National Statistical Office (NSO) website (www.nso.go.th) should be ready to accept census data from September 1, when data collection begins nationwide. On July 1, the NSO would take data collection from Phuket Rajabhat University students as they are allowed to take the data collection before the other people due to their exam schedule and political protests in Bangkok, which has caused census postponement in some regions.

Ms Prapai said foreigners can also take part by picking up census forms at Phuket Immigration, The forms are available in different languages, including English, French, Chinese and Japanese.
Once completed, the forms can be returned to the NSO by post, she said.

“However, only about 15% of the forms we have put out are coming back to us, so we would prefer to have our staff collect the data directly,” she said.

If nobody is at home when data collection students visit, the students will return later and try again. They also leave “appointment forms” residents can fill out advising them of a convenient time for the data collection to take place, Ms Prapai added.

For the first time, foreign residents who have been on the island three months and are intending to stay longer will be included in the census, which is undertaken every 10 years. This is also the first time the census-takers will attempt to tally the number of low-wage laborers from neighboring states, including those in the country illegally. The NSO promises that all information acquired is confidential and for planning purposes only.

Lately number of population in Phuket are about 330.000 people but a prediction mentioned that this number would become double due to the migrant workers from other parts of Thailand also live long in the island. When expats and low-wage foreign workers from Burma are added, the actual population could reach as as high one million, according to some official estimates. The huge unreported population and steady flow of foreigners to the island has resulted in Phuket emerging as statistical leader in a number of areas, including the incidence of deadly diseases and road accidents.

At the same time, the low “official” population figures result in a lack of funding in critical areas such as public health and law enforcement.

News by Phuket Gazette